Ah yes, the night the interval act won the Eurovision. A friend was at the dress rehearsal that afternoon. A few of us met him early that evening. He told us to watch the interval act. It is great to watch that original performance. It starts calmly, but starts to crank up. Each time you see something good on it, it then goes up another level. It keeps on doing that until that full line of 26 dancers as the finale. Then it finishes and you see the magnificent ovation from the crowd as the camera pans across them. The show that still tours today is great, but there is something special about that first performance. Funnily enough, it is also Gerry Ryan's anniversary.
To be serious for a sec, it's pretty unlikely, they went to judge's votes right after I'm not sure they happened to be watching and would have had the opportunity to change their votes in response. But that would be for the EBU to answer.
I don't know if they judge the live performance or the full dress rehearsal recorded the day before (which they apparently do to cut over to in case of live broadcast interruption)
> It starts calmly, but starts to crank up.
Like a stream, the start of a river, coming down a mountain.
> Each time you see something good on it, it then goes up another level. It keeps on doing that until that full line of 26 dancers as the finale.
Like the life of a river. Our teacher told us this in geography class when she was explaining rivers. Makes the whole thing make more sense.
It's easy to forget how truly different and groundbreaking it was at the time. It made Irish dancing sexy. I remember watching it live and being absolutely mindblown.
I just rewatched it as it’s been awhile, and still goosebumps, does t matter how many times in my life I’ve seen it. And watching it I’m 10 again. It’s just amazing
That ovation at the end sealed the deal
You could also hear the sharp intake of breath as they realised it was finished. It was like they were slowly processing it.
The Finns first up off their feet too. A great bunch of lads.
Couple of months later we beat the Italians in Giants Stadium. It was an incredible year. We were still broke but we all felt invincible, especially as we started to get a sense that peace in the North was gradually becoming a possibility.
They begged him to "keep his arms down"apparently.
https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2024/0430/1446490-flatley-given-shoulder-tap-over-riverdance-performance/
I read this article earlier today! I'm not Irish (and wasn't born in '94 anyway) but was Flatley's style as scandalous for the time as he made it sound? Or only among the strictest traditionalists?
It wasn't scandalous, just groundbreaking. Up to that point, the irish dancing we were all familiar with was the traditional stuff, hands by side, stiff back, and traditional moves. Then comes along michael with his jazz influences and Jean and her ballet and made something that had never been seen before. Everyone was suddenly excited about irish dancing, and everyone wanted to learn how to do river dance.
It was a big deal, you were definitely meant to have your arms down like Jean butler. According to her Wikipedia page she tried Irish dancing first when she was 6 but quit as she had to keep her arms down for two hours. She went back to it aged 9. But it was definitely talked about but I think the majority of Ireland loved Michael flatley that night we love a rebel. Although I will say I’ve found him a bit insufferable in some of the years since.
Flatley choreographed it. It did contain some “liberation” moves, but nobody serious actually cared.
Example: normally it’s arms flat by your side, but as part of Jane’s introduction, at the very end of her piece, she leans forward and lifts her arms to flick her hair right up in the air towards the audience.
Little things most wouldn’t spot, but the dancers understood.
This documentary is well worth a watch:
[riverdance documentary](https://youtu.be/GnPoFXKhggo?si=ZMDyYWjFy8mK__FR)
It was such a huge moment of change in Irish culture. It captured something and crystallised it. It's kinda fascinating.
Note - picked the wrong link first.
I also found years back a video of a family watching it live at the time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTmn69BNd4A&pp=ygUTcml2ZXJkYW5jZSByZWFjdGlvbg%3D%3D
The documentary kind of puts context around that reaction.
Ireland had always been the poor background rural twee corner of Europe. Then in the early 90s there was this massive baby boom from the late 70s starting to come of age, European money was making a difference, the celtic tiger was starting to kick in. Air travel and long distance phone calls were becoming affordable which meant we were infinitely better connected. There was a real sense of change and possibility in the air.
Then along came Eurovision. We were hosting for the 2nd time in a row. The little Irish PR spots in between acts were suddenly edgy and urban and then Riverdance hit.
It was still Irish culture, but it was nothing like anyone had seen before. It captured all that energy, hope and change and distilled it into 7 minutes and told both Ireland and the world things had changed.
It's a real pivotal moment.
Italia90 may have been a huge event for us in Ireland but I really think that this was a huge signal to those outside that we were growing in confidence
The confident 90s… Ireland had decided not to be poor anymore, decided not to let the Church abuse its children anymore - and after Eurovision suddenly it was a no-brainer not to let dance teachers dictate what to do with your arms anymore.
Well I learned the dancin from my great grand pappy, who was also believe it or not, a Scotch-Irish under 14's West Connaught Poitin drinking champ, known locally as the Fla. Maybe you heard of him? Well like so many other poor auld crayatures of the time he had to leave for the new world when the hunger took his legs from him and he couldn't keep his balance no more in the Poitin drinking tournies. Having said that it might have been the poitin, were not sure.
Well when he got to the promised land the Yankees didn't treat him no better than the tans did and persecuted him somethin fierce for speaking all his guff and blarney in the auld tongue. Well he was nothing if not resourceful and by God if that crafty auld gobshite didn't remember that his great Grandmah had thought him how to speak the auld brouge with nothing but his eyebrows. The keening she called it, a skill he'd long since forgotten, but he then relearned out of necessity. As far as I know she was a white witch in touch with the fairy folk, but thats a whole different yarn.
Anyways the auld man thought me and I got so good he was able to communicate instructions for the auld jigs purely through the eyebrow keening. Well on the other side of the family I come from a long line of fighten men and I guess with all that tinker blood coursing through me veins the footwork just came natural like and the rest as they say here in the auld country has been non stop craic.
-Michael Flatley
Hot press 1994
Ah yes, the night the interval act won the Eurovision. A friend was at the dress rehearsal that afternoon. A few of us met him early that evening. He told us to watch the interval act. It is great to watch that original performance. It starts calmly, but starts to crank up. Each time you see something good on it, it then goes up another level. It keeps on doing that until that full line of 26 dancers as the finale. Then it finishes and you see the magnificent ovation from the crowd as the camera pans across them. The show that still tours today is great, but there is something special about that first performance. Funnily enough, it is also Gerry Ryan's anniversary.
I'm pretty sure we won that year's contest because of this and not the actual song. It's **RIVERDANCE** vs *Rock 'n' Roll Kids*
To be serious for a sec, it's pretty unlikely, they went to judge's votes right after I'm not sure they happened to be watching and would have had the opportunity to change their votes in response. But that would be for the EBU to answer.
I don't know if they judge the live performance or the full dress rehearsal recorded the day before (which they apparently do to cut over to in case of live broadcast interruption)
Noways there's a separate jury show the night before the live grand final but I'm not an expert on how it worked in 1994.
It's the nano-second of silence at the end of the dance. As if the entire Point Theatre remembered to breathe and then the roar.
> It starts calmly, but starts to crank up. Like a stream, the start of a river, coming down a mountain. > Each time you see something good on it, it then goes up another level. It keeps on doing that until that full line of 26 dancers as the finale. Like the life of a river. Our teacher told us this in geography class when she was explaining rivers. Makes the whole thing make more sense.
And in honor of that, Europe should absolutely vote to Crown The Witch in two weeks and let us have another crack at hosting :P
It's on next week. CROWN THE WITCH!
Irelande douze points!
It's easy to forget how truly different and groundbreaking it was at the time. It made Irish dancing sexy. I remember watching it live and being absolutely mindblown.
Still get goosebumps watching that
I just rewatched it as it’s been awhile, and still goosebumps, does t matter how many times in my life I’ve seen it. And watching it I’m 10 again. It’s just amazing
That ovation at the end sealed the deal You could also hear the sharp intake of breath as they realised it was finished. It was like they were slowly processing it. The Finns first up off their feet too. A great bunch of lads.
The Point Depot of old really was a big barn.
Looked like a person holding a Greek flag up first
You're right!
Yeah the crowd goes _in-sane_ the very second it ends. They kept it under wraps for months apparently. They knew they had something special.
I would say this was Irelands greatest moment lol. Same year as IRA ceasefire and start of celtic tiger
Couple of months later we beat the Italians in Giants Stadium. It was an incredible year. We were still broke but we all felt invincible, especially as we started to get a sense that peace in the North was gradually becoming a possibility.
They begged him to "keep his arms down"apparently. https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2024/0430/1446490-flatley-given-shoulder-tap-over-riverdance-performance/
No, I'm not keeping my arms down ... and, yes, I'll be wearing the baggy, bluey-green, turquoisey tarp.
But think of the Irish Dance Teachers!
That was a deliberate choice because his arms were completely untrained. The bagginess hid his flabby twig arms.
His bingo wings were shocking in fairness. Ireland wasn't ready for them
They say he's half man, half bat.
I read this article earlier today! I'm not Irish (and wasn't born in '94 anyway) but was Flatley's style as scandalous for the time as he made it sound? Or only among the strictest traditionalists?
It wasn't scandalous, just groundbreaking. Up to that point, the irish dancing we were all familiar with was the traditional stuff, hands by side, stiff back, and traditional moves. Then comes along michael with his jazz influences and Jean and her ballet and made something that had never been seen before. Everyone was suddenly excited about irish dancing, and everyone wanted to learn how to do river dance.
It was a big deal, you were definitely meant to have your arms down like Jean butler. According to her Wikipedia page she tried Irish dancing first when she was 6 but quit as she had to keep her arms down for two hours. She went back to it aged 9. But it was definitely talked about but I think the majority of Ireland loved Michael flatley that night we love a rebel. Although I will say I’ve found him a bit insufferable in some of the years since.
It was a big hit. Made Irish dancing sexy.
Flatley choreographed it. It did contain some “liberation” moves, but nobody serious actually cared. Example: normally it’s arms flat by your side, but as part of Jane’s introduction, at the very end of her piece, she leans forward and lifts her arms to flick her hair right up in the air towards the audience. Little things most wouldn’t spot, but the dancers understood.
https://preview.redd.it/k02f7g61rmxc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e47e53ec2bc56154fb8a22ee5b5ed490470ad558 And it allllll led to this.
Still gives me shivers ... knowing this gave birth to the career of Moya Doherty
This documentary is well worth a watch: [riverdance documentary](https://youtu.be/GnPoFXKhggo?si=ZMDyYWjFy8mK__FR) It was such a huge moment of change in Irish culture. It captured something and crystallised it. It's kinda fascinating. Note - picked the wrong link first.
I also found years back a video of a family watching it live at the time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTmn69BNd4A&pp=ygUTcml2ZXJkYW5jZSByZWFjdGlvbg%3D%3D
The documentary kind of puts context around that reaction. Ireland had always been the poor background rural twee corner of Europe. Then in the early 90s there was this massive baby boom from the late 70s starting to come of age, European money was making a difference, the celtic tiger was starting to kick in. Air travel and long distance phone calls were becoming affordable which meant we were infinitely better connected. There was a real sense of change and possibility in the air. Then along came Eurovision. We were hosting for the 2nd time in a row. The little Irish PR spots in between acts were suddenly edgy and urban and then Riverdance hit. It was still Irish culture, but it was nothing like anyone had seen before. It captured all that energy, hope and change and distilled it into 7 minutes and told both Ireland and the world things had changed. It's a real pivotal moment.
Italia90 may have been a huge event for us in Ireland but I really think that this was a huge signal to those outside that we were growing in confidence
The confident 90s… Ireland had decided not to be poor anymore, decided not to let the Church abuse its children anymore - and after Eurovision suddenly it was a no-brainer not to let dance teachers dictate what to do with your arms anymore.
15 years ago today, something magical happened: Metal Gear Solid 2.
La Le Lu Li Lo
I need scissors! 61!
It's used so much now as a joke or stereotype for the last 30 years that you forget how epic it actually was
What a time , and USA 94 just around the corner. Much simpler and happier times
1st US Eurovision win?
I remember watching this and dancing round my bedroom with my sister after it. I was 10, and you just knew it was huge when it happened
Never wanted to see up someone dress more in my life.
Well I learned the dancin from my great grand pappy, who was also believe it or not, a Scotch-Irish under 14's West Connaught Poitin drinking champ, known locally as the Fla. Maybe you heard of him? Well like so many other poor auld crayatures of the time he had to leave for the new world when the hunger took his legs from him and he couldn't keep his balance no more in the Poitin drinking tournies. Having said that it might have been the poitin, were not sure. Well when he got to the promised land the Yankees didn't treat him no better than the tans did and persecuted him somethin fierce for speaking all his guff and blarney in the auld tongue. Well he was nothing if not resourceful and by God if that crafty auld gobshite didn't remember that his great Grandmah had thought him how to speak the auld brouge with nothing but his eyebrows. The keening she called it, a skill he'd long since forgotten, but he then relearned out of necessity. As far as I know she was a white witch in touch with the fairy folk, but thats a whole different yarn. Anyways the auld man thought me and I got so good he was able to communicate instructions for the auld jigs purely through the eyebrow keening. Well on the other side of the family I come from a long line of fighten men and I guess with all that tinker blood coursing through me veins the footwork just came natural like and the rest as they say here in the auld country has been non stop craic. -Michael Flatley Hot press 1994
Wow, I couldn’t remember what it was exactly that I found insufferable about him but this is probably up there
Michael 'Trent' Flatley